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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27204176">The Bonds That Tie Us Together</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/fluffybunnybadass/pseuds/fluffybunnybadass'>fluffybunnybadass</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: X &amp; Y | Pokemon X &amp; Y Versions</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Kalos-chihou | Kalos Region (Pokemon), Self-Insert, XY Postgame, mild violence?, the reason for the violence tag is for electrocution, there is mild bloodshed in terms of scrapes/punching inanimate objects</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 08:20:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,090</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27204176</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/fluffybunnybadass/pseuds/fluffybunnybadass</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a self-insert retelling of the Looker postgame episode in the XY games! :D<br/>Looker calls Sarah and Lance over to help him with a case that he has become personally invested in. The two arrive, unsure of what to expect or how he might need <i>both</i> of them.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>self / Champion Lance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Bonds That Tie Us Together</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This starts at about chapter 3 or 4 in the XY postgame episode, and goes on from there.</p>
<p>I tagged this for violence because of there being canonical evidence towards the harm being done to Emma. However, they handwave this off as "she was never in any REAL danger", and that didn't sit right with me. (Why was she screaming in pain so much if that wasn't the case!?!?) I also don't know what generally necessitates a violence tw on here, so i figured to err on the side of caution</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Oh good, you know each other. That saves us time then.”</p>
<p>My husband and I exchanged looks. We didn't know why the other had been summoned here by Looker, or how he was unaware exactly how we knew each other. We held up our left hands, showing him the matching rings on our third finger.</p>
<p>“We're married.”</p>
<p>“Oh, good, good, congratulations to the both of you. Anyways--" We exchanged glances as Looker continued on, unaware of the silent conversations we were having, "--the reason I called both of you here to join me is simple: I have a mission that will require help from both of you. With Lance's experience as part of the Pokemon G-Men and Sarah's multiple victory over regional Champions, I am certain that we can take down the person who is behind all these thefts.”</p>
<p>I sighed. It had been a few years since I was last here in Kalos, and Lumiose City was as bright as ever. What I didn't expect was that my return visit would be at the request of an Interpol agent. Over a theft mission. I shouldn't have been requested, as officially I wasn't recognized as someone to work with, like those who held Champion titles. Sure, I had battled and defeated many regions' Leagues and their Elites during my travels, but that never meant that I took up the role of Champion. I had no interest in staying put in my youth, of being the one that a region called on for difficult problems, shaping its future. It was more responsibility than I cared to have. I wanted to travel and try out new things, to experience as much as I could, like the contests, musicals, even the Pokeathlon when it came to Johto! I couldn't do that if I was expected to stay and take up challengers, or be at a region's beck and call. I only challenged each regions' Elites and their Champions because I wanted the recognition of strength that came from it.</p>
<p>Or it had been like that. That fame was waning now, as I had started to shift away from the spotlight. I was tired. Adventure and travel didn't excite me anymore. The League challenges felt all the same. I wanted to stay home now, to try new things or work on anything that interested me. Even though adventure would call me sometimes, I rarely answered anymore.</p>
<p>In this instance, it was quite literal. Looker had a caller id blocker on his phone, and curiosity got the best of me when the mystery number appeared. I answered and listened to his quick talk, asking me to fly out to Lumiose <em>immediately</em> and help him once again with a mission. There wasn't much I could do to deny him his request. I would have felt guilty, knowing that I could have helped but refused. My husband, on the other hand, I fully expected to be called upon to take this job. Not me. He was the one who worked for the Pokemon G-men, who helped people and Pokemon alike. He was the one who was called away for missions, sometimes as far away as Unova. This was normal fare for him.</p>
<p>Individually, Looker had told each of us that we would be working with someone else, and that we'd meet them when we arrived. I don't think either of us expected to be working with the other, especially not since my unofficial retirement. And a mission that seemed like easy, standard fare? I'm not even sure why he needed to import trainers from another region, when Kalos had its own share of strong trainers.</p>
<p>“Do you have any leads on who might be behind this?” I heard Lance ask while my thoughts were drifting away. The sound of his voice pulled me back to the present, and I looked up at Looker, trying to seem more interested.</p>
<p>“Unfortunately, yes.” Looker sighed, pacing back and forth as he considered how much information was worth sharing to us. He stopped, looked at each of us, then the ground, then the ceiling, before giving an aggravated sigh as he tried to smooth back his short hair. “A few months ago, I took in a local girl. She had been living on the streets with that Espurr over there. I couldn't stand by and do nothing, knowing that she had no home, no roof over her head.” My husband and I nodded in sympathy, curious as to where this story of his was going. Looker began pacing again while he spoke, pausing every so often to look at us, ensuring that he still had our attention.</p>
<p>“And, a few weeks ago, she started acting strangely. Didn't tell me what was wrong whenever I asked, always out of the building, leaving Mimi behind to watch the office. I'm not sure if you heard, but a week ago, someone vandalized the paintings at the museum down the street. Sprayed blue paint all over a historic tapestry. The museum's director was beside himself. I took on the case myself when it came to me.</p>
<p>“I walked with Mimi back to the office. I heard the sounds of a Pokemon battle in a nearby alley. On a hunch, I went to investigate, only to find some strange trainer in a bodysuit, like one you could find on that old TV show, Hoenn Rangers. She was stealing the Pokeballs off of her opponent! I rushed in, calling out for her to stop. Mimi ran in, circling her, so excited and happy, as though it was her best friend. It was then that I knew. I haven't seen her without her helmet on, but I am most certain-- the thief is none other than the young girl I had taken in, Emma!”</p>
<p>Looker's voice had quivered ever so slightly as he spoke that last line, as though it was the first time he had ever verbalized it, terrified of the power it might have, that it might speak into existence that which he wanted to refuse. And yet, he was professional enough in that he couldn't deny the clear evidence that the Espurr at his feet had given him.</p>
<p>“This girl... Emma. Had she any ties to criminal activity before?” My husband spoke with all the professionalism he had developed over the years, but I could see that he hated to ask such a thing. It was clear to us that Looker had grown attached to the girl that he took under his wing, maybe even doted on her like a father to a child. But it was a valid question to ask. We knew nothing of this girl; for all we knew, she could have been a malicious entity, preparing some sort of cover with Looker as an unaware alibi or victim.</p>
<p>Looker gave a tsk of annoyance, looking away for a moment. “Not exactly. She had defeated a local city gang with Mimi at her side, and they started to call her boss. However! It wasn't because she wanted them to! Apparently they did it of their own accord. She was so embarrassed about it... But they all made promises to reform the week that I met them, at our request. I haven't seen any of them stray from the straight and narrow since that talking to.” He sighed, looking at my husband, a pleading expression on his face. “She's a good girl, Lance. I promise you that. I'm just trying to make sure that she leads a better life than one on the streets. And this case I present before you? The reason that I have called the two of you in from so far away? Is the very thing that I do not want for her.”</p>
<p>My husband crossed his arms and nodded. He thought about the information that Looker gave him; I wondered about why we both were called in. It wasn't that it was beyond my capability. But I wasn't sure why he asked me to help, if he had requested Lance specifically from the G-men to help. It was obviously a case that had gotten personal too quickly, and I didn't think of myself to be any personal acquaintance to Looker. We only met a few times during my years of travel, working together at his request. I was certain he had other acquaintances that he could rely upon than a worn out trainer.</p>
<p>I looked around at the office that they apparently lived out of. It was rather neat and well-kept, which surprised me given how frantic Looker's energy always seemed to be. I expected his place to be a bit more messy. Maybe Emma had helped. There was a set of stairs in the back of the office, that I assumed led to their living quarters, blocked off by a screen that looked Johtonian. On the opposite wall there was a small kitchenette, with a fridge, stove, microwave, dishwasher and sink. His desk sat in the middle of the room, allowing him to greet people as he worked from it. I had barely come in, unable to give the office a proper glance, before he ushered me into a slightly closed off area that seemed to function as a client meeting room. Lance had already been there for some time, waiting for Looker's 'mystery' acquaintance. Looker had refused to brief him without both of us there.</p>
<p>“What do you think about this?” Lance's words broke me from my wandering thoughts.</p>
<p>“Huh?” I blinked, looking back over at him and Looker, faintly aware that no words had been exchanged in the time that Looker ended his story. I looked between the two, shrugging my shoulders a little. “I dunno. It could entirely be coincidental, but--”</p>
<p>“No!” Looker interrupted, leaning in towards me. “I am absolutely certain of it! That Espurr is shy and not easy to befriend, and it doesn't get that excited to see just anyone!”</p>
<p>I gave him a slightly annoyed stare.</p>
<p>“...As I was saying,” I began slowly. “It could be coincidental, but given what Looker's told us, it's possible she's involved somehow. From what he's said, I don't think it's her. Not... intentionally, at least. Maybe she's being forced to do all this or something?”</p>
<p>“Hm. You may be right!” Looker put his hand to his chin, staring at the floor in deep thought. “She didn't seem to recognize Mimi or myself when we interfered earlier. In fact, were it not for me, she would have kicked poor Mimi away! But before we could do anything else, she leapt high into the air, vanishing from sight. I...” He sighed.</p>
<p>“It was superhuman, the way that she moved, but I am certain that it was her. And as her self-appointed guardian, I feel responsible for her! I need to know what's going on and help bring her ho---” He broke off suddenly, his intense words and passion suddenly dropping off before he could finish his sentence. He sounded tired. This case must have eaten away at him if he truly believed it to be Emma. Maybe he needed the extra point of view, someone with no connections to the girl, to keep a non-biased perception of things. It would have been the smart thing to do, even if it would be painful to hear others speak of this girl as though she were the culprit. I had to give him credit for that.</p>
<p>Looker cleared his throat. “I need her to stay out of trouble, for both our sakes'.” The Espurr beside him looked up at him, tugging gently on his pants. “And for you, too, Mimi.”</p>
<p>The room was silent for a moment, letting the tense passion slowly dissipate before one of us spoke again.</p>
<p>“Okay then.” I clapped my hands together, stirring the room with new energy. “Does anyone have a plan?”</p>
<p>“That, I do happen to have!” Looker quickly took down a map of Lumiose City from off the wall, and spread it out on a table. “This is a map of Lumiose City--”</p>
<p>“Could've used that when I was last here,” I snarked. My husband gave me a look, and I rolled my eyes, letting Looker continue.</p>
<p>“--And these,” He pointed at several spots, three on the north side of the map and one on the south. He grabbed a pen from his jacket's pocket, and circled them. “Are just some of the alleyways that I had been at when I first found the girl. The thief has been known to fight trainers that are alone in the alleyways, and the cases all line up with the alleys that she's been known to visit before. If we can lure her in with a battle, then we can catch her before she steals again! I'll get her to give up before she can get away again!”</p>
<p>My husband and I both nodded. It was a simple enough plan, but it worked for me.</p>
<p>“Who'd you have in mind for bait?” I asked him. My husband and I were both incredibly strong trainers. If this was all he needed us for, then I don't see why he needed <em>both</em> of us. For someone who could seem incompetent or obtuse at times, Looker did have valuable skills as an Interpol agent. He could easily swoop in and disarm her without needing both of us. Probably.</p>
<p>Looker looked at me. “That's what I brought you in for.”</p>
<p>“Cool--”</p>
<p>“Absolutely not!”</p>
<p>The disagreeing opinions caused a sudden halt in the building energy, dashing the hope that this mission could be over with quick and easy. I looked up at my husband, his expression determined.</p>
<p>“I'm not letting my wife become bait for something like this.”</p>
<p>“It sounds easy enough. I don't understand the problem. Far as we can tell, she's not dangerous--”</p>
<p>“We don't know that for sure. Remember what Looker just said about Espurr? It almost got kicked for going to close!”</p>
<p>Fear flashed through me for a moment, but I willed it away. I raised my voice, determined not to be coddled over what seemed like a harmless enough mission. “And? You could get just as hurt too! Just because I don't have any pain tolerance doesn't mean that an injury wouldn't be worth it! This is going to be nothing, Lance! I don't see what you're telling me 'no' for. Looker called on both of us, and I'm already here, so I'm going regardless of whether you want me to or not. I can take care of myself and my Pokemon just as well as you can! Or did you think that just because I stopped battling that I'd become some weak thing that needs to be protected!?”</p>
<p>The heated words spilled out of me before I could realize what I was saying. There was a pause, the anger evaporating, and leaving me with the consequences of my words and emotion. I hadn't even tried to filter what I said, to rephrase my words.</p>
<p>I couldn't hate myself more right then. I put my hands over my mouth, tears welling up in frustration. At myself, at the apparent situation that we were going to be in. The look of shock on my husband's face as I started to shout, like I'd slap him or something. Looker had become part of the background, silent and concerned, unsure of which way to go about the marital spat. He didn't want to be part of it, and I didn't blame him. The silence stretched out. Seconds ticked away, feeling like hours, and I felt the pit of my soul drop away, deeper and deeper, to somewhere it didn't belong.</p>
<p>I bit my lower lip and looked away.</p>
<p>“I-I'm sorry, I didn't... You didn't deserve that.”</p>
<p>He didn't speak right away. Lance was the more careful of the two of us when it came to our words and our emotions. I couldn't begin to imagine what he was thinking, though I think he was struggling with coming up with a response. A proper response. You know, the sort of thing that I should have done in order to avoid blowing up at him because I hated being told to sit out something for safety's sake, especially when I had no intention of doing so.</p>
<p>When he spoke again, his voice was soft, low. Gentle, but firm.</p>
<p>“I don't want you rushing into something that could escalate. We don't know enough information to say with certainty that this is an 'easy' or 'safe' mission, and I would hate to see you get hurt because of any way that this could go wrong.” He let out a long sigh. No doubt he had been holding that in as he prepared what to say. “But...You're right on one thing, though. I shouldn't act as though you need protecting when it comes to things like this. You've proven multiple times in the past that you're more than willing to help, when it comes down to it. Trying to hold you back would be like trying to hold an angry Primeape.”</p>
<p>His words were consoling, but I felt awful. I looked away and crossed my arms, afraid to face him after that. Even if he forgave me, I'd still remember and feel bad. Because those thoughts would come in and distract me, ruining my focus; and it'd make this mission a lot more difficult than it need be.</p>
<p>“I don't have to like the plan, but I should be able to trust my wife.”</p>
<p>“...”</p>
<p>Lance sighed, turning his attention back to Looker. His voice conveyed all business again.</p>
<p>“When do we leave?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I was wondering,” began Lance, as we walked towards the nearest alleyways. It was just the two of us now, and it had been silent since Looker left. “How come Pika isn't with you? I don't think I've seen you without her, for anything.”</p>
<p>I shrugged, adjusting my bag. “I knew that if Looker was asking me for help with a mission, that it might be best if I didn't bring her. She's helped me before, but a Pokemon that stays out of a Pokeball tends to stand out if we have to go undercover. And... I thought I might get recognized if she was out,” I mumbled. “It's been a few years since I did the League Challenge here, and trends seem to move quickly here in Kalos, but I didn't want to risk people thinking that I was who they thought I was, all because of a Pikachu.” I rambled off excuses, looking up at him every so often as I spoke, him listening intently. I was starting to feel better, before my brain suddenly reminded me of what I had said. I shut my mouth and looked at the ground. I'm sure he would have been frowning if I saw his face.</p>
<p>“I have other Pokemon with me. They'll be fine for this.”</p>
<p>“It's not just them that I'm worried about.”</p>
<p>“...I know.”</p>
<p>We came to the first alley and split up. Lance took to the air with Dragonite, disappearing from sight when he crossed over the buildings. I took a deep breath and walked down the alley. It was surprising, that it took the alleyways for me to start having that familiar sensation, recognizing more of the alley as I walked further in. There was graffiti that I saw the first time I was exploring the city, struggling to get my mental map to retain its direction. I had used the graffiti for a marker of where I was at back then. If I recalled correctly, the alleyway opened up just a few minutes from here.</p>
<p>I kept one hand on a Pokeball. I quickly looked from side to side, waiting for my eyes to notice something, anything, that moved even the slightest bit. There was a sound of rustling plastic and some Fletchlings scattered as I approached the opening in the alleyway. I looked carefully. Even though I knew my husband would be watching overhead, it never hurt to have some level of vigilance on the ground, in case something happened to me before he could see or respond to it. I didn't need to prove his words from before right. My heart sank, remembering that. And I wasn't trying to rely on him; his role was to wait for the battle to be nearly over, when the suited girl would try to steal my Pokemon.</p>
<p>I cautiously pressed a button on my Poketch, letting the device auto-dial to the same line that Lance and Looker were on.</p>
<p>“I don't think anyone's here. Should I try the next alley?”</p>
<p>“Hmm. Do you see anyone up there, Lance?”</p>
<p>A pause. “No. Nothing from up here.”</p>
<p>“Onto the next one then! We'll have to find her sooner or later!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And so it went on like that for the next hour, us scanning and checking every alleyway we could find in Lumiose City, coming up with nothing. We needed to take a break. Lance and I were in agreement that we needed to make sure that Looker ate; his previous remarks on his eating habits the past week left us concerned, and so, we pressured him and (I) threatened to not help until he met up with us. There was a cafe nearby, by a Pokemon Center on the north side. Lance and I had gotten there first, picking some outdoor seating so it would be easier to leave quickly if needed. (Plus, the outdoor seating looked like a small garden, with vines on the gates that separated the cafe seating from the street. It looked so beautiful, that I pleaded with my husband to sit outside.)</p>
<p>When Looker showed up, we gave him apologetic expressions. He looked frustrated, afraid, angry, disheartened... a mixture of emotions, unable to figure out which one he needed to express at that moment. He pulled out a chair across from us and sat down, dragging a hand down his face as he recomposed himself.</p>
<p>“I just don't get it,” he muttered to himself. “This isn't like her... And her motive...? The M.O. of the thief? Why isn't it adding up?!” He banged a fist against the table, startling some of the nearby patrons and servers. Lance and I exchanged concerned looks, trying to figure out which one of us should speak up first.</p>
<p>“It's going to be okay,” I began, unsure of exactly <em>how</em> it was going to be okay, much less how to progress in sympathetic speech over something like this. I placed a hand over his, gingerly. “We'll find her. We'll figure this out, and then we'll get her to explain herself, if there is anything to explain. Right, honey?” I turned to look at my husband, giving him a pleading look to take over.</p>
<p>“Sarah's right. It might not get solved in a day, but we'll do what we can to help you and Emma. If only we had more of a clue to go off of...”</p>
<p>I sighed, and leaned back in my chair. Mimi hopped up on the table, looking at all three humans.</p>
<p>“Purr....”</p>
<p>“We'll find her, Mimi.”</p>
<p>We sat there for a moment in silence. Before we could place our orders, and allow ourselves a bit of time to unwind, someone approached our table. It was a young lady, her eyes trained on me.</p>
<p>“Hi there.”</p>
<p>“Hi?” I sat up. Something felt off about her, and I didn't like it. My husband seemed to think so as well, his eyes glancing from her to me. I gently shook my head, and he kept quiet, watching the conversation that would follow.</p>
<p>“You're the Kalosian Champion from awhile back, right?”</p>
<p>I nodded carefully, still cautious about where this was going. Looker grabbed Mimi off the table, holding the Espurr in his lap, trying to keep her away from the person that had approached.</p>
<p>“I knew it! You looked familiar. If you don't mind, I'd like to have a battle with you.”</p>
<p>Before I could answer, Looker cut in, his eyes sharp as he addressed her.</p>
<p>“Little miss, we appreciate your company, but unfortunately we aren't able to battle at the moment. As you can see, we were just about to have lunch. I suggest that you go looking elsewhere for a battle.”</p>
<p>She looked down at him, her gaze meeting his without an ounce of fear.</p>
<p>“I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to <em>her</em>.”</p>
<p>“I'm afraid we'll have to politely decline your invitation. As I said--”</p>
<p>“And I said that I wasn't talking to you.” Her eyes were fixed on me once more; I got goosebumps from her intense look. This was starting to get bad. Those that were seated outside could hear the raised voices as the person before us pressed on, charging ahead with her challenge. “So, what do you say? We could have our battle nearby. I'm sure you'll be able to get back in time for your order to be ready~”</p>
<p>I stood up, my chair scraping across the cement as I addressed her.</p>
<p>“Sorry, but I'm not interested. If you want to challenge me, then I suggest you do it at another time, not when we're about to eat. And maybe be nicer about it next time, too.”</p>
<p>The lady scoffed, and she turned away, putting a hand up in the air in a dismissive gesture. “Ugh, fine. If you change your mind, I'll be waiting by Cafe Triste. I know a nice little spot to have a battle over there.”</p>
<p>When she left, I sat back down. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to calm my nerves. I felt Lance's hand on mine, giving it a gentle squeeze, reassuring me that what I said had been the right thing. He pushed his chair closer to mine, and I opened my eyes to look at him, giving him a half-hearted smile. I took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. Looker was deep in thought; his eyes were trained on the direction that the challenger had left in. We followed his gaze, the same line of thought crossing us.</p>
<p>Lance spoke up first.</p>
<p>“Do you think--”</p>
<p>“Undoubtedly. I never thought that the bait would come to us. Had she noticed us and kept on our trail? Has she been following us?”</p>
<p>“Is that even this girl Emma you were talking about?” I turned to Looker, directing my question at him. “She seemed much older than the one you spoke about.”</p>
<p>“No, that's not how she looks. But Mimi here reacted. I know she hates being touched, but I had to hold her back from bouncing all over her. So it had to be Emma, somehow. There's no one else Mimi loves as much as her.” As though in response, Mimi had jumped back onto the table, ready to give Looker a mouthful. “You can't jump every time you sense her. You'll give us away,” he scolded.</p>
<p>“Right then. So it's a trap, but we need to take the bait in order to prove that it's her. Or not her. Regardless, point is, we have to battle her in order to stop the thefts and return the Pokemon, if our suspicions are correct. But for now, we should probably eat.” I looked to my husband for confirmation, and he nodded.</p>
<p>“We don't know what will follow,” he said to an impatient Looker. “We're going to need to take care of ourselves first before we go rushing in. And right now, that means refueling. Even you've got to agree that that makes some sense, Looker.”</p>
<p>The Interpol officer let out an impatient growl. “I hate it, but you're both right.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We spent the next length of time planning our move. Since the challenge had been issued to me, we were all (some begrudgingly) in agreement that I would be the one to meet her. The others would follow along; Lance would get atop the buildings, taking care to not be seen as he and Dragonite crept as close as possible to the back of the alley, where we assumed the challenge would take place. Looker said that he'd find a spot “where no one could see him”, and told Mimi to keep back this time. The little Espurr nodded. Once we had finished eating, we took a cab to the Cafe Triste. There was no one notably suspicious when we arrived, but there was the alleyway that we had checked earlier.</p>
<p>I looked at Lance and Looker, and they nodded. I waited for them to move ahead of me, letting them get themselves into position. I took a deep breath and walked down the alley, a hand on a Pokeball. It felt like a long walk, but perhaps because I anticipated something happening this time. When I turned the corner, at the back of the alley, I saw the lady from before, tossing a Pokeball in her hand as she waited for me.</p>
<p>“Hey. It took you awhile! I was starting to wonder if you were gonna turn tail and run away. Not that I expected you to; it's not often that a Champion would turn down a request for a battle, current or not.”</p>
<p>That had hit a nerve that I hadn't expect. I gripped the Pokeball in my hand harder, waiting for her to issue her challenge so we could get on with it. She said nothing, giving me a smirk.</p>
<p>“Did you want to battle or not?!”</p>
<p>“Fine. Go!” She threw out a Pokeball, releasing a Jellicent.</p>
<p>I threw out the Pokeball in my hand. “Absilina, open with Night Slash!” As my Absol burst forth from her Pokeball, she immediately assessed the situation and understood who her target was, tossing her head in a circular motion as her horn glowed. A dark slash of energy came forth, hitting the lady's Jellicent dead-on. Absilina landed smoothly on the ground. She crouched down, sensing the danger of the person behind the large, balloon-like jellyfish, and growled.</p>
<p>Jellicent shook itself off. The Night Slash had done damage, but not enough to get rid of it in one shot. It floated ominously towards us, ready for a command. Its arms glowed a dark color, ready for the signal as an orb of energy appeared in each one.</p>
<p>“Use Shadow Ball!”</p>
<p>“Dodge it with Double Team, and cut through with another Night Slash!”</p>
<p>Absilina quickly created image copies of herself, the shadow balls passing through each afterimage softly, causing her no harm. As the copies disappeared, she revealed herself behind the Jellicent. Her horn glowed once more, and she released a powerful Night Slash from right behind the Pokemon, earning a critical hit. Jellicent crumpled to the ground, eyes dazed as it passed out from the fight. Absilina quickly darted back to stand near me, not willing to keep her back turned against the mystery trainer for very long. I felt a small sense of pride, knowing that my Pokemon and I could still battle so well.</p>
<p>“Jellicent, return! Volcarona, go!”</p>
<p>The beautiful sun moth hovered in the air, its scales glittering as the bit of sun that made it through to the crevices of the alleyway hit its wings. It let out a sharp battle cry, the air filled with its screech. Absilina kept her body lowered, ready to dart away at my command.</p>
<p>“Use Quiver Dance! Again, and again!”</p>
<p>The large Fire- and Bug- Pokemon moved around quickly, its wings and body all aquiver as it raised its stats. Soon it was darting around the field, causing Absilina and I to struggle just to keep up with it. If we didn't take care of it quickly, Quiver Dance could pose a huge problem.</p>
<p>“Double Team again!” I shouted. “Stat boosts mean nothing if you can't hit us!” Absilina's Double Team afterimages appeared on the field once again.</p>
<p>“Fiery Dance, then combine it with Hurricane to create a large fire storm! Not even Double Team can help you escape!”</p>
<p>The Volcarona suddenly became encapsulated by fire, zooming around the air in a dance pattern. Fire soon formed in the air around the Pokemon. As the enflamed wings flapped, gusts began to swirl about, spreading the fire out from its center. I watched as Absilina's copies disappeared from the approaching fire storm as it hit each one. Flames soon engulfed her when she got hit. The strong winds of Hurricane picked her up and tossed her about. When the storm died down, she fell to the ground, hitting her shoulder first.</p>
<p>“Absilina! Are you okay?”</p>
<p>“Absol!” She gritted her teeth and got up. Growling could be heard as she did, and she stared down the speedy sun moth as it darted about, waiting for my next command.</p>
<p>“Okay. Let's end this with Air Slash, go!” Once again, her horn glowed, but this time instead of a dark slash of energy, gales of wind issued forth as she jerked her head. Volcarona quickly dodged each of them.</p>
<p>“Double Team, followed by Air Slash!”</p>
<p>“Use Hurricane!”</p>
<p>The two attacks clashed. Hurricane dissipated any of the incoming gales, protecting the Volcarona from potential damage. However, it kept it from attacking in turn. Even though we had managed to stop the Volcarona from moving, it was still frustrating, watching as all the Air Slashes were being negated. We needed... <em>something</em> to break through the wind barrier. We needed more power.</p>
<p>I watched the battle, eyes darting around as I tried to find something to strike inspiration. A glittering in the fur of Absilina caught my eye. As she battled, the strong winds blew her chest fur aside to reveal the Absolite that I had given her years ago.</p>
<p>“Of course.... I can't believe I forgot.” I quickly stuck my hand in my bag, rifling through it, hoping that I hadn't cleaned it out too much since I last used it. There, at the very bottom corner, I felt it: my Key Stone. I pulled it out. It had been affixed to a brooch, and I quickly pinned it to my shirt, near my left shoulder. I touched it briefly, thinking of Absilina, and looked back out on the battlefield; the glint of her Absolite had now turned into a glow, quickly engulfing her as she transformed into her Mega Evolution. Short, angelic-like wings protruded from her back now; her fur had gotten longer and her black horn wider. It glowed with the start of another, stronger Air Slash. She unleashed it, breaking apart the seemingly impenetrable Hurricane that had protected the Volcarona.</p>
<p>“Excellent! Now, Absilina, finish it off!”</p>
<p>“Quiver Dance!”</p>
<p>The boost that Mega Evolution had given Absilina was more than enough to offset the speed difference that Volcarona had gained. Once more, my Absilina's horn glowed, growing with the energy that Mega Evolution had given her. It unleashed a powerful Air Slash, hitting Volcarona and knocking it down for the count. Its trainer didn't even bother waiting for it to get up again, instead returning it back to its Pokeball. Absilina didn't revert to her normal form, instead carefully watching the suspicious character that we had just battled against.</p>
<p>The lady let out a short laugh.</p>
<p>“Oh, that was a great battle. Excellent, even. Yes, you're definitely a Champion. It's almost unfair, that you should have such a powerful Pokemon at your side.” There was a flash of light and the lady disappeared. Instead, what stood across from me was someone in a black bodysuit. Her face was obstructed by an orange screen on her helmet, the visor showing the impression of an E across the screen. It reminded me of a sentai show. She reached for a button on the arm of her suit.</p>
<p>“You should give them to me!” Out shot a grappling-hook like object, aiming for my Pokeballs.</p>
<p>It hadn't made it very far when a Hyper Beam came crashing down into the ground, searing the line and causing it to fall harmlessly away from me and Absilina.</p>
<p>“Don't even think about it!”</p>
<p>Lance and his Dragonite swooped into the alley. I felt some relief at the sight of them, having forgotten that they were nearby. Lance jumped off of his Pokemon, landing next to me, while Dragonite touched down next to Absilina. Looker and Mimi rushed in from their hiding spot, ready to apprehend the suited individual.</p>
<p>“Stop right there!” shouted Looker.</p>
<p>The individual turned her head, looking at each of us carefully. Her helmet flickered as she looked at Looker and Mimi, before she suddenly turned her head to stare at me again.</p>
<p>“OBSTRUCTION DETECTED. RECURRENT INTERFERENCE. PROCESS JEOPARDIZED.”</p>
<p>She crouched down. Looker took a step forward when suddenly, she leapt high up into the air and disappeared from our sights.</p>
<p>“Argh!!! She's run off on us again!” Looker slammed his fist into the wall. He stared up at the sky, no doubt wondering about where she had gone. But the immediate anger and frustration faded, and he clenched his fist, with a few hisses of pain and a muttered stream of “Ow, owowowow ow!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We returned to the Looker Bureau. My husband dressed the scrape on Looker's hand, Looker wincing at the antiseptic being carefully applied. I looked over the map he had drawn on before. I felt like maybe there was something missing.</p>
<p>“Are you sure there's nothing else that you can think of?” I asked Looker. “Anything at all, that might be connected to this.” I pulled up on my phone a digital map of the area, using a street view to quickly scout the area. There were so many cafes, so many plazas, streets, alleys, twists and turns. This was going to take some time to find any suspicious place, even digitally.</p>
<p>“There might be... one thing. Ah, but it's classified! Strictly related to my mission here in Kalos!”</p>
<p>I turned around to stare at him.</p>
<p>“You have a several-time champion and a member of the Pokemon G-Men as among your personally requested backup. You've either already broached several protocols or you <em>at least</em> can share with Lance over there. And maybe he'll share with me. Either way, holding back what information you know isn't going to help us in this search for Emma.”</p>
<p>He considered for a moment, before giving a reluctant sigh. He pointed over to a notebook that was laid out on his desk, in plain sight.</p>
<p>“Over there. You can read through that while I formulate our next move.” He turned to Lance, who had finished bandaging his hand. “Thank you.”</p>
<p>I walked over to the desk. The notebook had been left open for the whole world to see, if the whole world ever happened upon this office. I traced a finger along the edges of it, ruffled pages and notes stuffed into it with strips of sticky notes at all sort of angles. I flipped through it, skimming its contents to find anything useful. There was a lot to go through.</p>
<p>“You can't just tell us?” Lance asked, giving the Interpol agent a look that made him cave.</p>
<p>“Fine, fine. Tell me, have either of you heard of Team Flare?” We nodded our heads.</p>
<p>“They made the news while I was here,” I told him. “I heard the trainer who defeated Diantha after me was the key in their disbandment. That, and Flare had ties to a cafe somewhere...” A light bulb went off in my head and I quickly changed my map's display to where I had passed over a cafe by Magenta Plaza. “Here!” I held out my phone to show them.</p>
<p>“Yes, that's the cafe that they used as a cover for their laboratory. There was a scientist among them, named Xerosic. I've been sent to apprehend him. I think he may be part of this. He's been quiet for the last few years; until recently, it's been difficult to track him. What I've learned is that that suit that Emma wears is a pet project of his. He's been holed up in Team Flare's old laboratory, using the equipment that was left behind. I suspect that a couple of Emma's friends might have also gotten involved somehow; I've seen several of them in the area, but overall their little gang hasn't made any noise in the city. Still... my gut is telling me that it's not a coincidence.</p>
<p>“And, perhaps this is important, perhaps it is not so much, but when I last ran into Emma, she didn't recognize that name. Instead, she called herself Essentia. Trying to talk to her like she was Emma distressed her enough that she left suddenly, much like today. I'm surprised that she didn't try anything when we stopped her. ...Although she did leave much quicker than last time. Perhaps... Perhaps this Essentia identity is a key, that will unlock the mystery of why Emma is acting the way she is.”</p>
<p>Trying to depersonalize this as mission as a simple case of the good guys versus the bad would be difficult. We didn't know this Emma, but seeing the pain that Looker tried to hide made it hard. I felt bad for him; I hadn't seen him distraught like this before, and I wanted to make the pain go away. Helping him with this case was the only way that I could.</p>
<p>“I have a contact that I might try to reach out to again. Perhaps this person will be able to share with us more information. I do not like being in their debt, but there is little else I can do.” He pulled out his cellphone. “You two should come. It will be easier to share the information only once.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Looker brought us to a cafe that had apparently closed down two years ago. Though it wasn't open for business, it was left standing, as a testament to one man's vision. I remembered passing it by when I was in Kalos years ago, sitting inside once as part of my tour of Lumiose City. The establishment had given me slight unease at the time; now I knew why.</p>
<p>I looked over at the faded A-frame that greeted customers.</p>
<p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>Lysandre Cafe</em>
  </span>
</p>
<p>“This was Team Flare's base?” I asked, poking my head in. It wasn't nearly as dusted as it should have been. Like someone had cleaned it fairly recently, perhaps in the last few weeks.</p>
<p>“Indeed. Team Flare was right under their noses the entire time. But enough of the past. We are here to meet someone.”</p>
<p>“Can you first just tell us who?”</p>
<p>Looker only motioned for us to walk inside with him.</p>
<p>The bell over the door frame announced our presence with its soft jingle. Inside the red cafe stood a woman with pink hair. She impatiently tapped a foot against the ground, glancing over at the three of us when we entered. I looked at her cautiously, feeling the faintest hint of recognition. Where had I seen her before? Her eyes were hidden behind shaded frames, but I could feel them looking daggers at the three of us when we entered.</p>
<p>“This is more than expected, Looker.”</p>
<p>“They're my helpers.”</p>
<p>She snorted.</p>
<p>“A G-man and a--” Her voice stopped as she looked at me, the recognition hitting her worse than it had hit me. “YOU.”</p>
<p>Without hesitation, my husband had moved himself closer to me, ready to interfere if the woman's animosity resorted to physical violence. I gave a nervous laugh, struggling to remember her. Her name, her status, anything.</p>
<p>“Umm.... I'm so sorry, I'm really bad with names. Who're you again?”</p>
<p>It felt like the burning fires that stoked within her paused, only to erupt into a fury that not even Groudon could match.</p>
<p>“You... Forgot...?!” she began slowly. Her voice erupted in a shout, “You forgot who the <em>fuck</em> I am?!”</p>
<p>“Okay okay, we're getting off-track here!” Looker stepped in front of the hot-headed woman. “Malva, I need you to focus back on the task at hand--”</p>
<p>“No, Looker! I need a rematch against--”</p>
<p>“Malva!” Recognition struck me like a lighting bolt. “I remember you now!! You were the first Elite Four member that I battled against when I took up the challenge here!” Her team had been rather easy for me to get through, and it had left her pissed off. But rather than give her a rematch sometime, I had left, heading back home. That still didn't explain her extreme reaction, but if she had ties to Team Flare, then maybe that had something to do with it...</p>
<p>“A rematch! I demand one, right now!!!”</p>
<p>A sudden bout of facepalming occurred.</p>
<p>“Can't we do this without one?” Looker yelled at her. A shouting match erupted between the two of them. He and Malva went back and forth for a short while, my husband and I on the sidelines.</p>
<p>“What did you do to her?” My husband asked quietly while the two argued. “I've met a lot of Elite Four members, but I've never seen them hold a grudge like this towards any trainer.”</p>
<p>“I dunno. I only used my Lapras and took down all of her Pokemon.” Pause. “D'you think that might've done it?”</p>
<p>Lance let out a sigh as the shouting match between Looker and Malva came to a close.</p>
<p>“Tch.” Malva looked back over at us. “You're the ones that are helping this detestable man?”</p>
<p>“We are.”</p>
<p>“Ugh. Fine, follow me.”</p>
<p>She led us through twin doors in the back of the establishment. It led to a short hallway, which then led to what looked like an entirely different building. It was reminiscent of... Well, several places that I've been to, honestly. The murky lab was lit by red lights on the wall, which gave an eerie sort of glow to the dark tile on the floor. There were warp pads across the floor, something I'm sure none of us were patient enough to puzzle out.</p>
<p>Malva stopped at an elevator right in front of us.</p>
<p>“Here. I'll put in the password. Only certain admins of Team Flare know about this floor of the laboratory, and it is my belief that you'll find Xerosic here. But be prepared. He's been known to break promises in order to get what he wants.” She stepped aside, the elevator light dinging softly as its red doors opened. “Have fun. And if Xerosic asks, tell him it was nothing personal; just a little honor among thieves~”</p>
<p>“Thank you, Malva.” Looker gave her a small nod. She pulled him aside as we entered. I could faintly overhear their conversation.</p>
<p>“You'll keep your promise.” Her voice was low, but it still had that self-assured confidence that she spoke with. She wasn't questioning him; she was demanding.</p>
<p>“I'm a man of my word, Malva. You keep yours and I'll keep mine.”</p>
<p>We prepared ourselves as the elevator took us down several levels. No one knew what to expect from here out, even though all of us had varying degrees of experience in raiding secret lairs and labs. We went over what could, at best, be described as a plan. It felt like a long moment, removed from time and space, this one little moment separate from the rest of the world. A break. And when the doors opened again, we would be stepping back into the reality where Emma was Essentia, and we'd have to track down this scientist Xerosic in order to set things right again. The elevator stopped. A soft dinging noise broke our silence, while the light overhead light up to tell us what floor we were on. There was an impatient pause. Any second now, the doors would slowly open. And when they did, a small group of punks greeted us as the lab's security.</p>
<p>“Right. Should have known.” I sighed.</p>
<p>“Think we were led into a trap?” Lance held out a Pokeball, ready to push through.</p>
<p>“No. Malva doesn't like Xerosic. She has nothing to gain from harming us.” Looker picked up Mimi and took a few steps back, letting the trainers move forward.</p>
<p>We threw out our Pokeballs; Absilina burst forth from mine, while a Dragonite came forth from Lance's. We both issued our commands, knocking out the trainers' Pokemon and taking care not to hurt them as much as possible. It still didn't stop us from having to use force when they tried to physically get in our way.</p>
<p>“What does she gain from taking out Xerosic?” asked Lance.</p>
<p>“Less competition?” I said, throwing out an answer. “Or just to get rid of a really annoying thorn in her side.”</p>
<p>“It's most likely that!” Looker gave scolding looks at the punks that had been pushed to the floor. It seemed like he knew them, because they cowered once they recognized who it was that they had attacked. Looker grabbed one by the shirt. “Who's in charge around here? Where do we find them?!”</p>
<p>“Uh, uh... that way!” The punk pointed down a short hallway. “It's somewhere over there, I see Nix go that way all the time! But I dunno nothin' 'bout how to find the boss! I'm real sorry Mr. Looker, sir! If you see Nix, you can ask him!!”</p>
<p>Looker scowled, tossing the punk aside. “I'll deal with you later! Damn it!” He kicked a nearby wall, frustrated. “I should have asked Malva...” I heard him mutter.</p>
<p>Absilina pressed her head into my hand, and I absentmindedly pet her as we debated where to go. Lance was in favor of splitting up, to cover more ground, and I couldn't deny that that was a good option. But with the way the halls seemed to twist and turn, and the sometimes hidden warp pads, we could easily lose track of one person, or have difficulty meeting up with them if they found something or ran into trouble, notably Looker.</p>
<p>Absilina bumped my hand again, a bit more forceful. I looked down at her, confused as to why she was asking for pets at a time like this. Her ruby red eyes conveyed an almost sorrowful emotion. She let out a small whine, nudging my hand some more.</p>
<p>“Guys? I've got an idea.”</p>
<p>The three of us ran down the hall, as we ignored the low-brow security and scientists that were baffled by the intrusion. Any person that tried to get in our way or stop us, Lance's Dragonite pushed aside, making sure that Absilina had a clear path. Absols could sense disaster; surely Absilina could sense where we might run into Essentia/Emma?</p>
<p>"I'm hoping that I'm right about this," I shouted, huffing.</p>
<p>"If not, you'll owe me dinner."</p>
<p>I rolled my eyes and shook my head, too distracted to give my husband a snarky retort.</p>
<p>Absilina stopped as we seemed to get closer to where we needed to be. She was looking every which way as though she were trying to pick up a scent. I wondered if that was how Absols found the disaster that they were sensing. It worried me whenever she stopped. Maybe using this innate sense would mean that we'd run into something awful with Emma; but we didn't have any other choice except to either a) completely decimate the floor so there were no more walls and we found someone kind enough to tell us what we needed to know, or b) take the very long path of searching every pathway until we found the right one.</p>
<p>This was just like option B, but hopefully quicker, with Absilina leading us before disaster could strike. It took awhile, but we had reached the last unobstructed room that we could get to on this floor. Absilina pawed at the door, whining a little as she did.</p>
<p>I caught up to her, out of breath. "What's up girl? Is this it?"</p>
<p>She gave me a sorrowful look, pawing at the door handle again.</p>
<p>"That's our cue then," Lance said, him and Dragonite stepping forward. "Get back, everyone!"</p>
<p>"Wait! Remember that we don't know what's behind this door! Don't go Hyper Beaming something, when for all we know she could be right by the door or in its path! Hell, it could even be some trap!"</p>
<p>"This isn't my first mission," he said sharply. I took a deep breath, trying to hold back any retorts. Now wasn't the time to get defensive or let myself become encumbered by negative thoughts again.</p>
<p>"I know,” I said softly. “I just want you to be careful."</p>
<p>"Now who's being worried over their spouse?"</p>
<p>I stuck my tongue out at him. Fair point.</p>
<p>"If we could cut the discussion short," Looker shouted, his patience wearing thin. "Let's get this over with and save Emma!"</p>
<p>“Right!!”</p>
<p>A light blue glow enveloped Dragonite as it charged down the door with Dragon Rush. We ran in after it, to a quiet room full of bookshelves with glass doors. There were several rows of them on each side of us. No one had screamed or shouted when a Pokemon came bursting through, and no traps sprung, either. That still didn't mean it was safe. Absilina and Dragonite were on high alert, and kept themselves ready as we looked around.</p>
<p>“Is this... a library?” I wondered aloud. Had the situation been different, I might have been excited to rifle through each book. We walked past several rows of shelves, divided on each side of us. There was a desk in the far back of the room, but we couldn't see anything else noteworthy.</p>
<p>“Maybe we can find something useful in here,” I said to them. They agreed and we split up, taking a section each. It seemed unlikely that we could find exactly what we were looking for, when we didn't even know <em>what </em>information we needed to end these string of crimes.</p>
<p>“It looks like records from their research,” Lance said. He frowned as he flipped through the pages of the document that he held. “And not very ethical research, from the look of it.”</p>
<p>“It's a good thing that Team Flare disbanded then,” I called out absentmindedly, eyes scanning the pages of another document. I felt Absilina nudge me with her horn, and I looked down at her.</p>
<p>“Hmm? What's up girl?” She looked in the direction of the desk. I followed her, letting her lead. I gasped.</p>
<p>“Guys! There're Pokeballs in here!”</p>
<p>“What?!” Lance and Looker came running over, each of us examining them. There were scuff marks on them, no doubt a sign that they had belonged to other trainers. I pulled out my Pokedex, scanning them with the IR port. It pulled up the information of the Pokemon inside, and the IDs of the trainers that they each belonged to. I showed it to both of them.</p>
<p>“These must belong to the people who had their Pokemon stolen!” Looker declared.</p>
<p>“But why leave them in here?” My eyes wandered over to another bookshelf. Absilina was staring at the cover of one that had fallen over. EXPANSION SUIT SPECS was written on the cover. I picked it up while Lance and Looker did a sweep of the room, gathering up any other Pokeballs that were left about.</p>
<p>“Physical Enhancement... Pokeball Jack...?” <em>A hacking cable on the neck piece allows the wearer to upload a computer virus to Pokeballs and override their systems. </em>A computer virus?! <em>This provides access to control the Pokemon. The virus also magnifies the Pokemon's power. </em></p>
<p>“That can't be good...” I muttered, carefully reading over the notes.</p>
<p><em>4. Remote control. Remote control of the suit protects against the risk of its wearer going renegade. AI personalities are pre-programmed, modeled on common Trainer types. When the suit is controlled remotely, the wearer's consciousness is suppressed. </em> “....The wearer experiences a coma-like state!?”</p>
<p>I looked up, closing the book with my finger between the pages.</p>
<p>“Lance! Looker!” They both ran over. “We need to look for any notes about the Expansion Suit that Emma wears!” I opened up the book, flipping to the page that had a diagram of the suit that Emma wore. Looker grabbed the book from me, looking closely at it.</p>
<p>“Expansion Suit?” He paused, eyeing every detail of it. “Yes... that seems to be it.”</p>
<p>We fanned out, poring over the bookshelves once more.</p>
<p>“Found one!” Lance spoke up, reading aloud from the notebook. “The remote-control function has worked without complications thus far. Emma shows no ill effects from her time in the suit.”</p>
<p>“Well, that's hopefully good, right?” I asked. Neither of them made any acknowledgment, and Lance continued on.</p>
<p>“Her memory is blank.”</p>
<p>“Okay, maybe not so good...”</p>
<p>“When questioned, she describes her experience as 'taking a nap'.”</p>
<p>“I don't even know if that's a good or bad thing.”</p>
<p>“Sarah...” Lance sighed at me.</p>
<p>I looked over at Looker. He had another notebook opened, his frown deepening as he read it. I came over to him, trying to look at what he was reading.</p>
<p>“What does that one say?”</p>
<p>He didn't respond right away, instead closing the book up and putting it back on the shelf.</p>
<p>“Nothing important.” I tried to pry for more information, but he didn't respond. He began tapping his foot, thinking. I looked over at Lance, who was looking through another book. I grabbed the one that Looker had put back, scanning its contents.</p>
<p> </p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>We encountered a glitch in the remote-control programming, and I lost control for a brief period of time. Fearing possible effects on Emma, I suspended the trials temporarily. When we returned to the secret base, I examined the girl for signs of damage, but she appeared to be unharmed. She still retains no memories from her intervals in the suit. The one thing she admitted was experiencing “a frightful dream.”</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>I turned the page.</p>
<p> </p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>Why did the remote control malfunction only that one time? Do I need to do more than simply put her in a state of sleep? Must I subdue her spirit, too? No, doing that would put far too great a strain upon Emma's mind... </em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>I slammed the book closed and glared at Looker. “How can you say that this was nothing important!? She--”But I was cut off by Absilina's howl. We all looked over at her. She was growling at the entryway, as a pale, heavyset man in a red suit and red glasses walked in, a familiar figure in a black bodysuit behind him.</p>
<p>“Emma!” Looker's expression was relief mixed with pain. It was good that she was unharmed, but... The more that she wore that suit, the more concerning it was. She didn't respond to Looker's call. Angry that she continued to not recognize him, he turned his frustration on Xerosic. “Let her go!” he growled.</p>
<p>“Emma has been helping me with a trial of my magnum opus, the Expansion Suit. She can't hear any of you; her mind is in a state of sleep! You can try all you want, but waking her isn't an option. In fact, I think it might be best if you all had a battle with her instead, to understand exactly what it is that my Expansion Suit is capable of.”</p>
<p>“We don't need to battle her!” Lance shouted. “We've read your documents here! We know that what you're doing is unethical! Stealing Pokemon and hacking the Pokeballs with a virus, putting to sleep a teenager under the pretense that she's helping science?!”</p>
<p>“Does Emma even know what she's doing?” I yelled at him. “Do you even understand the irreparable harm you could be doing to her body and mind with that?!”</p>
<p>Looker couldn't wait any longer. He took advantage of our angry words and lunged at Xerosic, fist raised. Xerosic turned towards him, aware too late of the Interpol agent's attack. Looker's fist stopped in midair; his wrist caught by Essentia.</p>
<p>“Emma?”</p>
<p>He was promptly thrown back with inhuman strength, crashing into a bookshelf. It toppled over, Looker letting slip expletives between hisses of pain.</p>
<p>“Looker!” I rushed over to check on him. “Are you okay?!”</p>
<p>“I've been better,” he grunted.</p>
<p>Xerosic looked between all three of us. “Grr... You're all so noisy. Battle them, Essentia!”</p>
<p>We braced ourselves. Our Pokemon were in front of us, the line between us and harm. Essentia stood still, looking in our direction. Her head turned towards where she had thrown Looker, screen flickering as she watched the tiny Espurr psychically move books off of him.</p>
<p>“Essentia!” Her head snapped back to attention. “Defeat these trainers, and prove my theory true!”</p>
<p>“VIRUS POTENCY SET TO 90 PERCENT.”</p>
<p>She threw out two Pokeballs. From them emerged a Crobat and a Malamar. The two Pokemon looked incredibly aggressive and malicious, glaring daggers at us and hissing. Absol and Dragonite prepared themselves. There really was no getting out of this without a Pokemon battle.</p>
<p>"Crobat, use Mean Look on both Pokemon! Malamar, Superpower on Absol!"</p>
<p>Crobat's eyes glowed as it glared down our Pokemon, locking them into battle. Malamar launched itself at Absilina like a rocket, knocking her into the wall behind us. She fell to the floor, leaving an Absol-sized crater in the wall.</p>
<p>"Absilina!" I ran over to her.</p>
<p>"Use Dragon Rush on Malamar!" Lance commanded. Dragonite charged in, hitting the Pokemon in its chest. Malamar wasn't pushed back as Absol was, instead able to hold its own against Dragonite. It spun around and hit Dragonite with one of its arms, pushing the dragon back. Dragonite flapped its wings as it regained its position.</p>
<p>"Sarah, is Absilina okay?"</p>
<p>I pulled out a Hyper Potion from my bag, spraying it all over my Absol's body. She shuddered, then raised her head as the energy came back to her. I gave my husband a thumbs up.</p>
<p>"Yeah, she's fine. We'll be right back in the fight!" I stepped back as Absilina sprang back up, shaking off the dust from her fall.</p>
<p>“Absol!” she gave a determined bark.</p>
<p>“Awesome! Use Swords Dance!” There was a bit of fancy footwork that raised her attack power, as though summoning courage that could be manifested into offense.</p>
<p>“Crobat, Haze!” The purple bat Pokemon opened its mouth, letting out a darkly colored mist that covered the room. Lance drew his cape over his mouth to filter the air, while the rest of us covered our mouths with our hands. The black mist filled up the room, stinging my eyes. I could hear coughing nearby. We couldn't see the battle.</p>
<p>“Malamar, Night Slash on Dragonite!” There was a faint glow as something crashed into Dragonite, knocking it aside. It stood back up, teeth bared. Another glow as another attack made contact with it, causing it to step back. It was difficult to tell where Malamar was until its body glowed for an attack. Dragonite held its own though, waiting for the right opportunity to strike back.</p>
<p>“Absilina, use Night Slash on Malamar!” Absilina jumped into the haze, the glow of her horn becoming muted as she came within range of her foe. I couldn't see what happened, but I could hear the cry of surprise from the Malamar as it was attacked.</p>
<p>“It's already back up? Malamar! Finish it off with another Superpower!”</p>
<p>“Double Team!” The faint glow from Malamar's body alerted Absilina. As a Dark-type Pokemon, she had a better chance of sensing the other Dark-type Pokemon than Dragonite did. There was no cry of pain from her, only the sound of something crashing into one of the bookshelves.</p>
<p>“Dragonite! Blow this Haze away!” There was a loud flapping of wings. Dragonite slowly came into view, the black mist slowly dissipating from its area.</p>
<p>“Crobat! Quick, Poison Fang on Dragonite!” Crobat was but a purple blur, swooping in with its jaws wide, teeth latching onto Dragonite. Dragonite let out a pained cry. It hit Crobat with its claws, breaking free of its assault, but not without injury. Purple marks had formed around the area where it had been attacked, and its breathing became haggard.</p>
<p>“Dragonite!”</p>
<p>“Absilina, quick! Use Air Slash to finish what Dragonite started!”</p>
<p>She wasted no time. The air cleared, and the battlefield was visible once again. Malamar had positioned itself right behind the poisoned Dragonite, arms poised for its next attack. Its arms glowed in a purple color, Psycho Cut hitting Dragonite in the back. The dragon let out a pained cry.</p>
<p>“Dragonite! Fall back!”</p>
<p>“Lance, here!” I tossed him a Full Restore. “I'll get their attention while you get Dragonite healed up!”</p>
<p>Absilina overheard the quick commands, dashing across the room to stand beside me.</p>
<p>“Use Night Slash on both of them! Make sure they've got their eye on you long enough for Lance to heal Dragonite!”</p>
<p>Absilina nodded in understanding. She growled and barked at the two Pokemon on the field, drawing their attention briefly. Her horn glowed. She quickly charged in, hitting each of them with a Night Slash from up close. The two Pokemon angrily shook their heads, locking eyes with Absilina. She barked at them again, running away from Lance's Dragonite.</p>
<p><em>Take the bait</em>, I muttered under my breath. I looked over at Essentia, who seemed to be watching the battle unfold more than participate in it. It seemed that the Pokemon were well-trained enough that they didn't need her commands. She was just a conduit for them. A source of increased strength. That Pokeball hacking device in her suit, if that's related to the virus potency, and it multiplied their strength, then... It would be a very difficult battle for us if we didn't end this quickly, or carefully.</p>
<p>Absilina turned around, ready to charge at the two Pokemon again. They seemed on the verge of falling for her taunts, their aggression growing as she continued to bark and growl at them.</p>
<p>“Use Double Team! Follow it up with Night Slash!”</p>
<p>“Crobat, Air Slash! Malamar, Night Slash!”</p>
<p>Absilina had barely made copy images of herself in time before the other Pokemon attacked her. She swiftly dodged the incoming attacks, zigzagging through the shelves as her and her Double Team copies darted in and out, trying to push the opposing Pokemon's interests away from Dragonite. The two opponents slowly let up ground, Absilina's Night Slash pushing them away. Dragonite headed back to its trainer as fast as it could in its weakened state. Lance met his Pokemon partway, spraying the Full Restore over it.</p>
<p>One of Absilina's doubles disappeared, then another, as Crobat and Malamar continued their assault on her. She was headed for a wall, and the Pokemon behind her charged their attacks, thinking they had her cornered. She waited for them to attack, then leapt onto the wall when they did, using the momentum to push herself off it and past them. As she did, her horn glowed, and she let out two Night Slashes, one for each Pokemon. Crobat and Malamar didn't have enough time to dodge her attacks.</p>
<p>"Dragonite, Thunder Wave now!" Before the two Pokemon could recover, an electric band of energy was unleashed at them. It hit its two targets, paralyzing them. Absilina stopped by Dragonite, turning around to face their foes. The two Pokemon stared down their paralyzed opponents.</p>
<p>Crobat and Malamar struggled to get themselves up off the floor.</p>
<p>Lance didn't waste a single second.</p>
<p>"Let's finish this off! Hyper Beam!"</p>
<p>Dragonite inhaled, quickly gathering energy. A large, yellowish-orange beam of light shot out at the two Pokemon. It hit them dead on. Without much fight left in them, they collapsed on the ground. Dragonite was briefly worn out from the strenuous attack, leaving Absilina as the only Pokemon capable of movement right now. She cautiously walked towards the two Pokemon, prepared to attack if they were feinting or made any moves.</p>
<p>Thunder Wave and Hyper Beam had done a number on Essentia's Pokemon. They gave feeble groans as Absilina nudged them with her forepaw. Due to the paralysis, the couldn't move, even if they wanted to. Absilina looked back at Lance and myself, as though questioning what the next move would be.</p>
<p>"Call back your Pokemon!" Lance shouted. "It's over. They're exhausted."</p>
<p>Xerosic gritted his teeth, then nodded to Essentia. She pulled out two Pokeballs, and her Pokemon disappeared in red beams of light. The scientist looked displeased, quickly thinking about what his next moves would be against the three of us. His lips curled into a sneer.</p>
<p>"That's alright! We'll just increase the virus' potency and do this again!"</p>
<p>"Emma! Stop this right now!" Looker had gotten up from the bookcase he was thrown into, thanks to Mimi. The little Espurr was in front of him. She made her way past our Pokemon, until she was several feet from Emma/Essentia. "Let's go home. I don't understand why this all has happened, but you can tell me later."</p>
<p>"Es! Espurr es!!" The little Pokemon jumped up and down, waving her little paws at her human.</p>
<p>"It's useless, you fools! Nothing you try will work! Emma can't hear you. The one in control of Essentia is not Emma, but me!!"</p>
<p>"Can you hear me, Emma?! If you can wake yourself, I know you can break free of that suit! Awaken! Open your eyes!”</p>
<p>“.........”</p>
<p>Emma was non-responsive. Other than the screen on her helmet flickering, she may as well have been a static entity. She stood still, her helmet tilted in the direction of Looker and Mimi.</p>
<p>“Isn't the power of science amazing? By putting her into a coma-like state, not only can I keep in control of the Expansion Suit, but she won't be able to wake up no matter how much you call her!”</p>
<p>“...”</p>
<p>“Emma? EMMA!” Looker was shouting now, using all the volume he could muster. Mimi was mewling as well, as loud as her little lungs could get. “C'mon Emma! I know you can hear me; I know that you can hear us!!"</p>
<p>In a fit of frustration, the little Espurr ran closer, yelling at her friend.</p>
<p>“Mimi! Get back!”</p>
<p>A bright light flashed suddenly. Mimi was floating, faintly outlined by a purple aura. She directed her focus at Emma, trying to connect to her with a psychic beam of energy. But the Expansion Suit had protected her, somehow deflecting it to Looker's feet. He didn't move, not due to fear, but due to determination and courage. He looked at her, trying to see past the screen that covered her face, to see the girl that he knew was inside, but all that met him was a flickering light.</p>
<p>“Emma...”</p>
<p>At first, nothing had happened. But then there was a soft squealing sound, that quickly turned into a high pitch whirring. The screen on the suit flickered more, lights flashing in a different pattern, as though trying to boot up its process once again.</p>
<p>“...ngh....”</p>
<p>It was the first time that we had heard any noise like that from her. The screen flickered on and off. Essentia grabbed at her helmet, clutching it as though in pain. A loud, staticky ringing noise could be heard.</p>
<p>“Hnnnngghhh....! ...Ugh!”</p>
<p>Finally, she let out a loud scream of pain, her movements jerky as though she were desperately trying to throw off the helmet, her pain imminent in the way that she tottered about, trying to relieve the source of her pain, to free herself from the shrill noises contained in the headgear.</p>
<p>Xerosic took a few steps back.</p>
<p>“What?! How can this be happening?!” He faltered for a bit, before gritting his teeth and smirking, carrying on as though nothing was outside his control or expectations. “Not a problem though! Watch this! Remote-control function... Set to maximum output!” He reached for a device in his pocket and pulled out a remote. He pressed a few buttons on it in an attempt to regain control of Essentia.</p>
<p>The thrashing and screaming stopped. Essentia stood as she normally did.</p>
<p>Looker gave a hesitant step forward, Mimi now floating in front of him, prepared to protect him if she suddenly lashed out.</p>
<p>"Emma, I know you're in there. You can't fake the bond between you and Mimi!"</p>
<p>Essentia had her hand on a Pokeball, ready to throw it. Her arm jerked, hand stopping suddenly when it had moved halfway through. Mimi's eyes were glowing, a determined expression on her face. Essentia's hand jerked, trying to fight the psychical attack that blocked her movement. She screamed in pain once more, and Mimi let go of her psychical hold. Essentia/Emma's arm went limp, down at her side, as once more something went horribly wrong with the suit.</p>
<p>“Nngh! GAAAAAH!” The Pokeball fell from her hand. She clutched her helmet in pain again, screaming and stumbling about once more.</p>
<p>“EMMA!!!” Looker didn't hesitate this time. He ran towards Emma, wanting to pry the helmet off of her himself, but in her chaotic pain she tossed him back. He fell backwards, grunting in pain as he hit the floor. There was a high-pitched whining noise again, as the technology in the suit continued to malfunction. The girl in the suit was still screaming, shouting.</p>
<p>“Stop this, Xerosic! Can't you see that she's in pain!?” Lance couldn't hold back his frustration and disgust at the scientist anymore. He took several steps towards the scientist, Dragonite's intimidating presence beside him. "You've got to stop this! Emma hasn't done anything to deserve this! She's just a normal girl, who had just gotten a fresh start until you came in! Stop this abuse right now before you regret it!”</p>
<p>None of us knew what to do; we couldn't attack her, not when she showed any signs of control over herself. Was the energy that powered the suit electrocuting her? Was it doing something to her brain? There was no way for any of us to know, except for Xerosic. Xerosic was the only one who held immediate and full knowledge of the suit. Taking him out wouldn't guarantee Emma's safety; and we needed it stopped right away. We couldn't destroy the controller, either. It might lock her into that painful state until she passed out... or worse. I racked my brain, trying to find something, anything. Everyone's patience was growing thin; we all wanted to do something.</p>
<p>Her screaming continued.</p>
<p>It felt like all we could do was watch. Painfully. I glanced over at Looker, who was sitting up. He muttered something, over and over to himself.</p>
<p>“C'mon Emma...” I couldn't imagine the sort of pain he was in.</p>
<p>I looked around. There were tossed over bookshelves, their contents strewn about the floor. There was Xerosic, a controller in his hands that we theoretically could take from him by force, but without the knowledge of its controls, would be utterly useless in our hands. Emma/Essentia was still yelling. Lance and Dragonite were glaring daggers at Xerosic, trying to intimidate him into subservience. Mimi was still there, trying to get Emma's attention. Trying to connect with her. Trying to stop her.</p>
<p>I called out to the Espurr.</p>
<p>"Mimi! Can you try to use your psychic powers again to do a deep dive into her mind and pull her consciousness forward? To wake her up?!"</p>
<p>"Sarah, no! We don't know what that would do to her!" Lance shouted. He turned back to me, trying to catch me before I did something. “Waking her up while she's in pain like this would only hurt her more!”</p>
<p>"But--! We can't just sit here and watch this!" He shook his head, just as frustrated as I was. “There's got to be something we can do to help her without hurting her...”</p>
<p>“UWAAAAAAUGGGGGHHHH!!!”</p>
<p>Emma had turned around, trying to thrash her head into the wall in an attempt to break the suit's helmet. Mimi cried out suddenly, using her psychic powers once more to try and hold her back. Espurrs were known for their immense psychic power; there were records of destruction from their excessive psychical force going out of control. And here she was, struggling to keep her human safe. Was this because of the design of the Expansion Suit, or was it because she was holding back, afraid of harming the human inside of it?</p>
<p>Xerosic gritted his teeth.</p>
<p>“....Fine.” He pressed a button on the remote he held. “AI system power down. Deactivate.”</p>
<p>There was one final scream as Essentia powered down, the visor on her helmet going dark. Mimi let go of her, psychic powers spent. She ran forward as Emma collapsed. Xerosic caught her, holding the girl carefully as her pain seemed to end.</p>
<p>“Emma!!” Looker quickly ran over, taking her from Xerosic's hold. He knelt down carefully, hastily trying to remove the helmet from the girl's head.</p>
<p>“Help me get this off of her!” He snapped at Xerosic. The scientist quietly removed it, and backed away as Looker sat on the floor, cradling the girl, speaking her name softly, over and over as he tried to get her to come to.</p>
<p>“Emma? Emma, can you hear me? It's Mr. Looker.”</p>
<p>“A....Are we... Done?” Her voice was weak. She took a deep breath and coughed, unaware of the shouting and screaming that her body had just done. She looked around feebly, eyes settling on the loud red suit that Xerosic wore.</p>
<p>“Yes, Emma. We're done for today. You did a good job. The trials are complete; I'm afraid your job is over.”</p>
<p>“Mmm... That's... too bad...” Emma yawned, slowly sitting up.</p>
<p>“Careful, Emma.”</p>
<p>She put a hand to the side of her head. “I have this enormous headache....” She paused. “Wait? Mr. Looker?!”</p>
<p>“Yes, Emma. I'm here. Are you okay?”</p>
<p>“I'm... I'm not sure.” She looked from him to Xerosic, who had turned away from the small reunion. “A-am I okay, Dr. Xerosic? Did I get into any trouble while I was asleep?”</p>
<p>Xerosic cleared his throat. “N-no, nothing of the sort. You behaved yourself as expected. Mr. Looker only came looking for you because he was concerned.”</p>
<p>“I thought it was a secret that I was working here?” She tilted her head, looking between the two. Xerosic and Looker exchanged looks, debating how much of the truth they were going to share with her right now. Looker spoke, carefully choosing his words.</p>
<p>“I found out where you were working; I was worried about you. But I see that you were in....” He paused, hesitating on the words he would use. “That you were okay.” With a grunt, he got up. He held out both of his hands to Emma, pulling her up as well. She wobbled a little at the sudden motion. Looker put an arm around her to hold her, and she gave a weak laugh.</p>
<p>“Eheh... I suppose that you're mad at me for not telling you, huh?”</p>
<p>“I cannot tell you the immeasurable relief that I have right now at seeing you.”</p>
<p>“Huh?”</p>
<p>“Nevermind that, Emma. We'll talk more later. I think that we should head home. But first, I need to have a talk with Xerosic.” Looker looked at my husband and I. “These are my friends, Lance and Sarah. Would you two kindly take Emma back to the Bureau? I'll be sure to follow you soon.”</p>
<p>We nodded. Emma slowly turned to look at us, registering that there were other people in the room. And Pokemon. Aaaand....</p>
<p>“W-what happened in here while I was out?! This room looks like a mess!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Looker had asked for time before he introduced us to Emma properly, and we obliged. After everything that had happened, no doubt the two of them needed some time to process. Lance had time prepared for him to stay in the city for a few days; an extension of time was only granted when needed. I didn't have anything pressing to go back to, so we used the spare time to do a small, sight-seeing tour of the city, stopping at all of the cafes and restaurants, the boutiques, even Prism Tower. On our last day there, we stopped by the Bureau-- after phoning ahead, of course.</p>
<p>“Welcome to the Looker Bureau--!” A teenage girl had greeted us, halting halfway as she saw who we were. “O-oh! You're the two that helped me and Mr. Looker, right?”</p>
<p>We nodded.</p>
<p>“Come in! I'm so glad I finally get to meet you properly! Give me just a moment.” And with that, she headed towards the back of the office space, poking her head behind the screen that hid the stairs. “Mr. Looker!!! Your friends are here!!!”</p>
<p>She turned back towards us, a grin on her face. Mimi came over to us, greeting us happily.</p>
<p>“And Mimi says hello to you, too! Oh, but don't try to pet her. She doesn't like adults.”</p>
<p>“Dang.” I turned to my husband, and said, “Sucks to be you, then.” I stuck out my tongue at him, and he rolled his eyes.</p>
<p>“Don't forget; you're in that category too.”</p>
<p>“Na-uh!”</p>
<p>“Yeah-huh.”</p>
<p>“Nope!”</p>
<p>Emma giggled at our banter. But before we could continue our little teasing conversation, Looker had come down the stairs, coffee mug in one hand and the other rubbing the back of his neck.</p>
<p>“Ah, Mr. Looker! Good morning to you! Have you finally caught up on your rest?” Emma turned towards us to explain. “He stayed up all night while we were in the hospital; even though he was cleared to go, he stayed in my room, waiting for me to be cleared as well. He didn't sleep much. The doctors said I was fine, though! They were concerned that I don't remember my time as Essentia, so they recommended me to a neurologist. We'll be going to that next week.” She stuck her tongue out. “I don't like that I have to see so many doctors now.”</p>
<p>“Well, that's what happens when you grow up on the streets!” Looker said, giving her a scolding look. “We've gotta make sure that you're okay, especially since we don't know what damage Xerosic's experiment has done to you in the long run!”</p>
<p>We gave a small laugh at the paternal exchange between the two of them, Emma arguing that she was fine and didn't need to see so many doctors, while Looker tried to explain to her the importance of it. Eventually, they remembered that we were there, and broke off, embarrassed.</p>
<p>“I'm sorry you had to see that,” Looker said. “We haven't had any arguments yet until this Essentia thing happened, so we don't seem to know when to give and take yet.” He looked pointedly at Emma when he said that.</p>
<p>“Well, I'm sure that's what happens when you're a new father,” I teased. “It could be worse. You could have picked up a kid off the street with an attitude problem.”</p>
<p>Lance turned to me, mildly offended. “Silver needs <em>guidance</em>, and <em>understanding</em>.”</p>
<p>“Yes, yes, and a proper father figure, and all of that. You're doing so well with him, sweetie.” I patted his chest.</p>
<p>“You'll have to give me some pointers sometime,” Looker said, looking away. He took a sip of his coffee.</p>
<p>Emma wasted no time in picking up the conversation.</p>
<p>“Mr. Looker told me that you two are Pokemon Champions! What's that like?”</p>
<p>“Well, uh...” I pointed at my husband. “He's the one that's kept the status that comes with the title. I've defeated many other Champions from around the world, though.”</p>
<p>“I think that makes you a Champion, dear.”</p>
<p>I stuck my tongue out at my husband again.</p>
<p>“You'll have to tell me about your adventures sometime! That is, if you don't mind sharing!”</p>
<p>Lance smiled at her politely, pointedly ignoring my childish response. “I don't think that'll be an issue, right Sarah?”</p>
<p>I gave up. “I don't mind if you don't mind listening to us. We've got all sorts of different stories. He's got some from his work with the Pokemon G-Men, and I've got a lot from my travels. I'll give you my number and e-mail before we leave.”</p>
<p>Looker cleared his throat, and we all looked at him. Emma tilted her head. “Did you need a cough drop, Mr. Looker?”</p>
<p>“No, no. I just... Didn't have a better way to interrupt.” He paused, and no one said anything. “Right then. Lance, Sarah. I cannot thank you enough for your help in this case. The two of you have proven yourselves to be invaluable partners. I'm not sure what would have happened if you hadn't answered my request. I officially announce this case as closed!” Looker lifted his mug up while Emma clapped happily.</p>
<p>“And if either of you ever want a job with Interpol, just let me know.”</p>
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